Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Extend stay-home directive to workers, says union

The National Union of Banking Employees (Nube) wants Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to include workers in declaringa state of emergency in Muar and Malacca over the haze crisis.Union general secretary J Solomon (left) said closing schools in areas recording ‘hazardous’ Air Pollutant Index (API) readings alone was not enough as “allowing the parents to go to work and risking them to hazardous air quality will not do good to the home-staying children”.

Solomon said in a statement that Malaysia has a “moral obligation” to protect workers against sickness, as it last year ratified the 2006 International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention on ‘Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention’.

“We (Nube) have urged banks having branches in Muar and Malacca to close their premises and their employees to remain in their respective homes with their families until the API readings show signs of improvement.“Meanwhile, in areas where the API reading is reaching hazardous level, workers with respiratory problems (should) to be granted unrecorded leave and messengers (despatch) allowed to remain at home.”

Najid yesterday declared a state of emergency in Muar, Johor, after API readings there had reached dangerous levels of more than 746.

Meanwhile, schools in Muar were ordered closed today, together with schools in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Malacca.

However, as at 11am today, API readings in Muar dropped significantly to an ‘unhealthy’ 132. API levels in Klang Valley and Malacca were also at ‘unhealthy’.

Parents can opt not to send kids to schoolMeanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (left) said in a statement that parents concerned about their children's exposure to the haze may choose not to send them to school.

However, Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, asked that schools abide by the circulars issued, whether to close the school immediately, stop all outdoor activities or stop all co-curricular activities.

“Parents are asked to refer to the respective school, the district education office and state education department for the latest information regarding the status of their children’s school, especially in the affected areas.

“Parents concerned over their children’s heath are permitted to not send their children to school, but the school must be informed,” he said.Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja-pekerja Bank (NUBE) menuntut perdana menteri memasukkan pekerja sekali apabila mengisytiharkan darurat di Muar dan Melaka ekoran krisis jerebu.